Online system and method for enabling social search and structured communications among social networks

1. A method for enabling structured communication among a social network including a computer, the method comprising: receiving, by the computer, input pertaining to a question; formulating by the computer the question based upon the input; generating by the computer an answer pattern including potential responses to the question based upon a form of the question; translating and transmitting by the computer a message including the question and the answer pattern having the potential responses to the question to a plurality of users over a corresponding plurality of preferred messaging platforms from among a plurality of different messaging platforms for eliciting responses to the question from two or more of the users using the answer pattern; collecting and aggregating by the computer the responses to the question from a corresponding two or more of the plurality of preferred messaging platforms; and presenting by the computer the responses in a summary format, wherein the plurality of preferred messaging platforms comprises, for each user of the plurality of users, a corresponding preferred messaging platform for that user from among the plurality of preferred messaging platforms.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the formulating step further comprises suggesting the question based upon previously asked questions or a list of generic questions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises suggesting one or more answer patterns based upon the question.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a suggested message that includes the question and answer pattern and one or more elements selected from the list comprising textual and graphical content of the message, presentation of the message while authoring, structure of data and parameters underlying the message, presentation of the message while responding, structure of response data from an individual recipient, aggregation of the response data into results, structure of result data, and presentation of the result data and relationship of the message to sequences of messages.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising creating a further question by specifying, referencing or extending one or more elements of a prior message created by a same or different author.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising specifying how new messages are derived from data from a previous message or response in a sequence.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising defining a range of possible derived messages from a given message.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising specifying timing and workflow for performing the translating and transmitting.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising containing the elements in either a single document or a network of referenced documents.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the formulating step comprises formulating a question based upon changes or extensions to a previous question.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the formulating step comprises recommending content based on one or more of user preferences, past use, or current context.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes audio and/or video components.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a response from an unregistered user.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising crediting a response to an unregistered user.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: enabling a user to assign a level of trust for each of one or more users; and transmitting the question to a subset of the one or more users based on the level of trust for each of the one or more users.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising assigning the level of trust for a particular correspondent among the one or more users by inferring the level of trust based on levels of trust other users have assigned to that correspondent.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling a user to specify the plurality of users without specifying individual addresses of the users.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the transmitting step comprises selecting a send address for each of the users based on sender, recipient, group preferences, and available addresses and messaging channels.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising enabling a user to assign an access level to one or more users and restricting access to groups of the one or more users based upon the access level.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising enabling a user to share users and groups without sharing addressing information.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step comprises sending messages across different messaging channels, including one or more channels for which at least one of the users does not have direct access.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising: submitting a question and answer pattern as part of a body of user contributed content; and referencing and extending the content to formulate new question and answer patterns.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregating step comprises aggregating responses from users in a group without disseminating all responses to all participants.

24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recommending content and patterns and elements of patterns for re-use based upon a measured effectiveness of the message.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising crediting authors for their contribution to a message content or pattern based upon a measured effectiveness of the message.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the formulating step comprises suggesting a question based upon the input from a user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the formulating step comprises suggesting a question based at least in part upon prior questions asked by users other than the user who provided the input.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the generating step further comprises generating an answer pattern including potential responses at least in part from questions asked by users other than the user who provided the input.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating and transmitting step comprises translating a message into a format that depends upon a messaging network over which the message is transmitted.

30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a user with a designation of groups of correspondents in the form of a circle on a graphical user interface.

31. The method of claim 1 , further comprising suggesting one or more follow up questions based upon a response to a prior question.

32. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling a user to specify whether the question may be relayed by a recipient to other users.

33. The method of claim 1 , further comprising resending a user the question on a messaging network different from the one over which the question was first sent.

34. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting marketing material on a graphical user interface selected according to a content of the question or answers.

35. A system for enabling structured communication among a social network, the system comprising: a computer; a nonvolatile storage device; and computer instructions stored on the storage device and configured to run on the computer and implement: a question writing module for formulating a question; a question management system coupled to a database stored on the storage device and adapted for generating an answer pattern including potential responses to the question based upon a form of the question; a messaging hub adapted for translating and transmitting the question and the answer pattern including the potential responses to the question to a plurality of users over a corresponding plurality of preferred messaging platforms from among a plurality of different messaging platforms for eliciting responses to the question from two or more of the users using the answer pattern; and widgets and/or plugins adapted to communicate with one or more different platforms, software applications, browsers or other environments, wherein the messaging hub and question management system are further adapted for collecting and aggregating the responses to the question from a corresponding two or more of the plurality of preferred messaging platforms and presenting the responses in a summary format, wherein the plurality of preferred messaging platforms comprises, for each user of the plurality of users, a corresponding preferred messaging platform for that user from among the plurality of preferred messaging platforms.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the question writing module is configured to suggest the question based upon previously asked questions or a list of generic questions.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the question management system is configured to suggest one or more answer patterns based upon a content of the question.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the question management system enables a user to provide a message that includes the question and answer pattern and one or more elements selected from the list comprising textual and graphical content of the message, presentation of the message while authoring, structure of data and parameters underlying the message, presentation of the message while responding, structure of response data from an individual recipient, aggregation of the response data into results, structure of result data, and presentation of the result data and relationship of the message to sequences of messages.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the widgets and/or plugins are adapted to receive a response from an unregistered user.

40. The system of claim 35 wherein the messaging hub is further adapted to send messages across different messaging channels, including one or more channels for which at least one of the users does not have direct access.